


Haunted House Hand Holding

by literaryoblivion



Series: Freck's Inktober [30]
Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Haunted Houses, Holding Hands, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Team Bonding, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-19
Updated: 2018-11-19
Packaged: 2019-08-25 20:50:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16668079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/literaryoblivion/pseuds/literaryoblivion
Summary: Tyler does NOT want to go through this haunted house, but the rest of the team is and he'd rather not face the chirping by skipping out on it. Jamie comes to his rescue.





	Haunted House Hand Holding

He doesn’t know whose idea it was, but he does know it sure as hell wasn’t his. The last thing Tyler wants to do with his day off is being scared to death in a stupid haunted house, and yet… here he is standing in line with the rest of the guys all in the name of “team bonding.” He’s pretty sure that was Spez’s excuse. Whatever, he’ll be fine. It’s not real and maybe he can just close his eyes the whole time or like run through it so he doesn’t see anything. Yeah. That sounds like a great plan.

“You doin’ okay, Segs?” Jamie asks quietly behind him, causing him to jump and spin around.

“Huh? What? Yeah. Totally!” he answers, maybe a little too quickly given the confused, distrusting look Jamie is giving him.

“You sure?”

“Yup.” Tyler bobs his head and gives Jamie what he hopes is a convincing smile. It’s apparently not convincing.

“Yeah, I don’t believe you. I know how you get during scary movies, and the fact you’ve been jittery and jumping on your toes the whole time we’ve been in line tells me otherwise. Look, you don’t have to come in if you don’t want to.”

Tyler shakes his head. “No way. I’m not chicken-ing out. Can you imagine the chirping if I back out? I’m doing this, Jamie.”

Jamie holds up his hands. “Okay. I’m… well if it gets to be too much, tell me. I can leave with you.”

The look on Jamie’s face is so sincere, and it makes Tyler smile fondly. Whenever Jamie gets into protective, Captain-mode it’s pretty touching. It definitely doesn’t help the growing crush Tyler has on him, though. 

“Thanks, Chubbs. I feel better already knowing you’ll protect me from the ghouls and zombies.” He winks, and Jamie rolls his eyes.

“I mean it though,” Jamie adds after they’ve moved up in line, keeping his voice low so only Tyler can hear him. “I’ll be right there if you need me.”

“I’ll be fine. Promise. But thanks,” Tyler says and he means it. It means a lot to him to have Jamie so worried about him and care about him so much. But he can handle this. He won’t like it and it won’t be fun, but he can brave a haunted house.

~

Except he totally can’t. Turns out it’s kind of a maze and less of just a guided path around scary scenes. Part way through the team has been separated, and all he can hear are screams and shouts, and he’s  _ not _ panicking, except he is. 

He turns around and the people behind him are complete strangers and… shit. He thought at least Rads was with him, but he doesn’t see anyone recognizable. He decides it’s better to at least be with strangers than completely by himself, so he tries to ignore the monsters lurking in the corner and following the other people.

It’s not working well, the ignoring part, and he’s freaking out and not really okay. Why did he even decided to go through with this? He should’ve taken the out Jamie had given him. Maybe he could’ve faked getting sick or something. Which, where the hell is Jamie, anyway, he had promised to be there, and now he--

“Hey, Seggy, calm down,” Jamie says behind him, with a firm hand on his shoulder. The touch helps. Tyler closes his eyes, takes a couple deep breaths, and tells himself to relax. Jamie steps up closer behind him, and Tyler has to physically keep himself from leaning back into his chest.

“Where were you?” Tyler lets out once he’s settled.

“I’m sorry, Segs. I thought you were behind me, and I turned around and you were gone. It took me a bit to find where you went. I’m here though.” He reaches and grabs a hold of Tyler’s hand and laces their fingers together. It makes Tyler’s eyes fly open and stare down at their linked hands.

“I won’t let go. I’ll be here with you,” Jamie continues. Tyler can feel his heart beating faster, and it’s not because of their spooky surroundings.

He can’t speak, but he nods and squeezes Jamie’s hand, which Jamie returns. “Come on,” Jamie says, “we’re almost at the end, I promise. Just focus on me if it gets to be too much.”

Slowly Jamie leads Tyler away from where they’re standing, and Tyler lets himself get closer to Jamie, burying his face in Jamie’s shoulder when something jumps out at him. They’re hands remained linked the entire time.

He almost taps out when they go through a room that looks like it’s crawling with snakes (it’s not, it’s a projection), but instead, Jamie holds on to him and shields his eyes and hurries them out.

By the time they make it out of the haunted house, Tyler is practically wrapped around Jamie, Jamie’s arms holding him closer.

“Hey, we’re out, now,” Jamie whispers into Tyler’s hair because Tyler’s face is in his chest. Slowly Tyler looks up and realizes that yes, they are out and are standing alone to the side of the exit. “You okay?”

Tyler nods and steps back away from Jamie, their hands coming to rest at their sides. “Yeah. Thanks… for… sorry I was such a baby, clinging to you and stuff.”

Jamie frowns and shakes his head. “No, Ty, it’s okay. Scary things are not fun for you. I get it. I didn’t mind.”

“Didn’t mind?”

Jamie’s cheeks redden slightly. “I… I am glad I could be there for you. I didn’t mind the clinging.”

“Oh?” Tyler asks as he watches Jamie’s face and ears get redder. Maybe his crush isn’t as unrequited as he thought it was.

“Yeah.” Jamie rubs the back of his neck.

“Well…” Tyler says, stepping back into Jamie’s space. “You don’t have to wait for another excuse to hold my hand.”

“No?” Jamie asks, an eyebrow lifted and a half smile playing on his lips.

“Nope.” Tyler grabs Jamie’s hand, and they both grin at each other. Tyler desperately wants to kiss Jamie too, and he could, Jamie seems to have a look in his eye like he wants to kiss Tyler too, but behind them they can hear the rest of their teammates cheering and laughing as they exit the haunted house.

Jamie squeezes his hand and then they both let go and walk to catch up with everyone else, both knowing there’s more to come between them later with they’re alone.

Tyler might have hated the haunted house and not want to do it, but in a way he’s glad he did if only because it brought him and Jamie together, which he can’t say he minds at all.

**Author's Note:**

> I know this is super belated, forgive me. 
> 
> Come say hi on [my tumblr](http://literaryoblivion.tumblr.com) or on [my twitter](http://twitter.com/lit_oblivion).


End file.
